Decorated flexible fabric and method for making the same



Jan. 8, 1952 2,582,132

DECORATED FLEXIBLE FABRIC AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME L. KAPHAN FiledJan. 30, 1948 INVENTOR. [ya/wig Kapfiafl Patented Jan. 8, 1952 UNITED*sTArss PATENT OFFICE DECORA'E'ED FLEXIBLE FABRIC AND METHOD FQRJ.MAKING SAME The: present invention. relates to a decorated fabric-,.and; more: particularly to. a. flexible fabric. studded: with decorativeplastic beads: or elements, and to methods for makin the same.

It? is an object. of the present invention to pro vide; a novel: type.of decorated flexible. fabric. of he character described. which is ofhighly ornamental and attractive appearance.

It: is another object. of the present invention to. provide a. decoratedfabric. of the character described which is capable of being formed agreat: variety of patterns, designs and." color com binations- It. is;also an objcctlof the present invention to provide a decorated flexiblefabric. of the character described which is suitable for numerousdecorative and ornamental usesv andv purposes Itis: still anotherobjectof thepresent invention. to. provide a. decorated flexible fabricof the character described which is of light weight, particularly whenconsidered in view: of." the. bulk of its appearance.

It is; yet: another object of the present invention. to provideadecorated fabric of the characterclescrihed which may be. formed withdecorative. plasticv elements of varying shapes, forms and sizes. andin. varying density and proximity of arrangement, in one form of whichit may be made t resemble a, beaded fabric but which may be produced:at; greatly lesser cost of labor and ma.- terials and in lesser timethan such beaded fabric and is of much less weight than such beadedfabric.

Another object, of the present invention is to provide a decoratedfabric of the character described which, is both durable and inexpensiveto produce.

It is a. further object of the present invention to. device methods. forthe production of the fabrics of the. present. invention which aresimple and easy to practice and which are certain in their effects.

It is a. still further object. of the present invention to devisemethods for the production of the fabrics of the present. inventionwhich consume a minimum amount of time, labor and materials and whichmay be practiced. with maximum QQ O TIY- It; is yet a. further object ofthe present invention to devise methods. for the production of thefabrics of the present invention which may be practiced withthe use. ofsimple equipment which is of; a t ndard character.

The foregoing and other advantages and snperiorities. of the products.and methods or the 18V Claims.

resent invention will become more readily ap parent to those skilled inthe art from the several; representative embodiments thereof shown inthe accompanying drawings and from thedescription following. It is to beunderstood, however, that; such embodiments are shown by way ofillustration only, and without any intent of limiting the invention tothe specific details therein shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1' is a plan View of a fragment of a studded fabricv of the presentinvention, representing the fabric in an early stage of" production,showing the stud or'decorative elements secured to a base fabric, beforeundergoing stud processing:

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same fabric fragment represented infinished state;

Fig. 3. is a vertical section through a stud element of the type used inFig. l, in enlarged representation, before processing;

Fig. 4 is a similar view representing the stud element of Fig. 3 afterit has undergone process Fig. 5 is a plan View of a fabric fragmentstudded with a plurality of differently shaped and formed stud elementsbefore the same have been processed: some of saidelements being cut toshow their original cross-section;

6 is a plan View of the fabric and studs of i Fig. 5, representing thesame on approximately the same scale, after the stud elements have beenprocessed; some of said stud elements being cut away to show theircross-section in finished state; and

Fig. 7 is a view taken through the stud elements of-Fig. 6-, showingtheir cross section after processing, on anenlarged scale.

I have found that small units or elements of synthetic plastic materialsof a thermoplastic character, such as of cellulose acetate plastic,maybe treated to eifect a.- change and improvement in their appearance,without impairment, in a manner permitting the changing of a small,angular, rough anddu-ll surfaced unit into a rounded, smooth and glossysurfaced unit of increased size or bulk, having definite ornamental anddecorative characteristics.

I have discovered that when such thermoplastic units, in their roughstage, are immersed in a suitable solvent fluid, such as an acetonesol-- vent in the case of a cellulose acetate plastic, to soften theirouter surface or skin portion, and then subjected to a specified degreeof heat, are actionin. the nature of. an internal explosion or blowingupwill take place which. will tend to pull the softened skin or surfaceof the unit away from its unsoftened core portion, if any, or from itsopposed softened skin surface, and to expand the unit, forming airspaces between the softened skin portions and the core or between theseveral softened contacting skin portions, as the case may be. Theexpansion and blowing up thus confer a degree of porosity and a roundcontour on the unit, increasing its bulk without in any way increasingor even actually decreasing its weight. g

I have further found that such expansion and blowing up does not affectthe surface of the unit, which, upon cooling emerges whole, smooth andglossy.

In practice, I may take or form a great number of thermoplasticsynthetic plastic units or elements II], which, in one form, may be inthe shape of cubes of a small size, such as of approximately dimension.Such elements If) may be varicolored and may be formed by cutting orchopping from rods, in the case of cubes, or from bars, strips, tubes,cylinders, depending on the shape of element desired, with greatrapidity, in large numbers, at low cost. Since these elements aresubsequently processed for finishing, their initial roughness, dullnessand lack of finish is immaterial.

The elements, such as the cubes I0, may preferably have at least oneflat surface of substantial area, as H, by which they may be safelysecured or anchored to a base fabric [2. The fabric I2, preferably of aflexible nature, may be of any kind or type, needing only onerequirement that it be'not soluble in the solvent intended to be usedfor the plastic elements Ill.

The elements Ill may be secured by their face I I to the fabric [2 inany manner by which their adhesion to such fabric may be effected, as bya suitable cement, or by treating the adhering surface II to render itadhesive, as by treatment with a solvent or by the application of heat.

The elements, such as H), may be applied to the fabric I2 in spacedrelation, in large numbers and at great speed, by mechanical orautomatic means, in any desired density, either haphazardly or in apredetermined design, thus forming a low cost, light weight, flexible,plastic studded fabric, such as shown in fragmentary form in Fig. 1,wherein the fabric has the appearance of a beaded fabric.

The studded fabric is then immersed in a solvent fluid of a typeeffective for the plastic stud elements I but which will not affect thebase fabric [2. The time of immersion may vary from approximately ten(10) seconds to approximately ten (10) minutes, depending on manyvariable factors and conditions, such as the thickness of the elementsl0, the type of plastic from which they are made, the kind andconcentration of the solvent used and the degree of change intended tobe effected in the elements.

Upon removal from the solvent bath, the studded fabric is subjected toheat treatment for a period of time ranging from approximately one (1)minute to approximately ten (10) minutes, at a temperature of fromapproximately 200 F. to approximately 500 F., depending on many variablefactors and conditions, such as the thickness of the unit, the depth towhich it is softened, the material from which it is made, atmosphericconditions, degree of change desired to be effected, and others.

Upon cooling, preferably at a gradual rate, the processed elements 10assume, as shown in Fig.

2, the enlarged, round contoured, porous, smoothsurfaced, glossy,decorative appearance, and remain in secure adhesion on the base fabric12, forming an ornamental, studded fabric suitable for numerous uses,such as in the making of ladies handbags, belts, garments, or the like.

In Figs. 5, 6 and '7, I have illustrated, by way of example, a number ofother, differently shaped and formed stud elements that may be made andused in the manufacture of the decorated fabrics of the presentinvention. I may, thus, start with a flat, bar-shaped element 14 toform, after processing, the approximately semi-cylindrical element M; orwith a flat, thin, pearshaped element I5 to form the arcuate pearshapedelement IE; or with the disc-shaped element IB and end with thehemispherical element H5; or with the thin, flat walled ring element llending with the tubular ring element ll. In all cases, the final form,after processing, is of round contour and greater bulk; the increase inbulk being controllable to a large degree by controlling the intensityand duration of the processing steps.

This completes the description of the products and methods of thepresent invention. It will be readily apparent that many modificationsand variations thereof may be made, in accordance with the principleshereinabove set forth, by anyone skilled in the art, without the use ofany inventive ingenuity. I desire, therefore, to be protected for anyand all such variations and modifications that may be made within thespirit of the present invention and the scope of the claims heretoappended.

I claim:

1. A decorated fabric of the character described, comprising a basefabric and a plurality of thermoplastic synthetic plastic stud elementshaving internal porosity and rounded contour and glossy surface securedon a face of said base fabric.

2. A decorated fabric of the character described, comprising a flexiblebase fabric and a plurality of thermoplastic synthetic plastic studelements having internal porosity, a rounded contour and glossy surfacesecured on a face of said base fabric.

3. A decorated fabric of the character described, comprising a flexiblebase fabric and a plurality of thermoplastic synthetic plastic studelements of small cross-section and having internal porosity, a roundedcontour and glossy surface, adhesively secured to a face of said basefabric.

4. A decorated fabric of the character described, comprising a basefabric and a plurality of vari-colored, thermoplastic synthetic plasticelements of small cross-section and having internal porosity, a roundedcontour and glossy surface, adhesively secured to a face of said basefabric.

5. A decorated fabric of the character described, comprising a flexiblebase fabric and a plurality of thermoplastic synthetic plastic studelements set on said fabric, each of said stud elements having a fiatface by which it is adhesively secured to said base fabric, a porousinterior, a rounded contour and a glossy projecting surface.

6. The product of claim 5, wherein the base fabric is a textile fabric.

7. The method for producing a decorated fabric of the characterdescribed, comprising the steps of cementing plurality of themoplasticsynthetic cellulosic plastic stud elements to a base fabric, immersingthe studded fabric in a liquid solvent for the said plastic studelements until, the surface of said stud elements is softened to adesired depth, and then subjecting the said studded fabric to heat at atemperature of between approximately 200 F. to approximately 500 F.

8. The method for producing a decorated flexible fabric of the characterdescribed, comprising the steps of cementing a plurality ofthermoplastic synthetic cellulosic plastic stud elements, in spacedrelation, on a surface of a flexible base fabric, immersing the studdedfabric in a liquid solvent for the said plastic stud elements until thethe surface of said stud elements is softened to a desired degree, andthen subjecting the said studded fabric to heat at a temperature ofbetween approximately 200 F. to approximately 500 F. and then coolingthe studded fabric.

9. The method for producing a decorated flexible fabric of the characterdescribed, comprising the steps of cementing a plurality ofthermoplastic synthetic cellulosic plastic stud elements of smallcross-section in Spaced relation on a surface of a flexible base fabric,immersing the studed base fabric in a liquid solvent for the saidplastic stud elements until surface of the said stud elements issoftenedto a desired depth, subjecting the said studded base fabric toheat at a temperature of between approximately 200 F. to approximately500 F. and then gradually cooling the same.

10. The method for producing a decorated fabric of the characterdescribed which comprises the steps of forming a plurality ofthermoplastic synthetic cellulosic plastic stud elements of small crosssection, each of said stud elements having a flat face of substantialarea, adhesively securing a flat face of each of said stud elements tothe face of a base fabric, immersing the studded base fabric in a liquidsolvent or said plastic stud elements until the surfaces of said studelements are softened to a desired depth, subjecting the said studdedbase fabric to heat at a temperature of between approximately 200 F. toapproximately 500 F. and then gradually cooling the same.

11. The method for producing a decorated fabric of the characterdescribed which comprises the steps of forming a plurality ofvaricolored thermoplastic synthetic cellulosic plastic stud elements ofsmall cross-section each having at least one flat face of substantialarea, adhesively securing a flat face of a plurality of said studelements, in spaced relation, to a face of a base fabric, immersing thestudded base fabric in a liquid solvent for said plastic stud elementsuntil their faces are softened to a desired depth, subjecting the saidstudded fabric to heat at a temperature of between 200 F. andapproximately 500 F., and then gradually cooling the same.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the base fabric is a, flexiblefabric.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the base fabric is a textile fabric.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the studed fabric is immersed in thesaid solvent liquid for a period of between approximately five (5)seconds and approximately ten (10) minutes.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the studed fabric is subjected tosaid heat for a period of between approximately one (1) minute toapproximately ten (10) minutes.

16. The method for processing a fabric studded with synthetic cellulosicthermoplastic elements which comprises the steps of immersing the studedfabric in a liquid solvent for said elements and non-solvent for saidfabric until said elements are softened to a desired depth, subjectingthe said studded fabric to heat at a temperature of approximately 200 F.to approximately 500 F., and then gradually cooling the studded fabric.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the studed fabric is immersed in thesaid liquid for a period of between approximately 5 seconds toapproximately ten minutes.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the studed fabric is subjected tothe said heat treatment for a period of between approximately 1 minuteto approximately 10 minutes.

LUDWIG KAPHAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,271,192 Hinz Jan. 27, 19422,297,248 Rudolph Sept. 29, 1942 2,397,743 Kaphan Apr. 2, 1946 2,422,017Hunt June 10, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 241,557 GreatBritain Mar. 25, 1926

